2 November 2014

Nicosia Travel Guide - updated 2018

This is slightly different to our usual guides, as it covers
a capital city that many would never consider visiting, as Cyprus is very much
seen as a resort destination. However there is much to see and very little
information about the practicalities, ironic as most Cypriots speak English,
and many things are similar to the UK, not least the plug sockets and driving
on the left!

Getting
to Cyprus

Direct flights from London airports:

Cyprus has 2 main airports, Larnaca and Paphos.

From Heathrow, you can fly BA to Larnaca – from Terminal 5,
and often Club Europe can be a very cheap upgrade that gets you lounge access
and better meals.

Ryanair flies Stansted to Paphos, and Easyjet flies Gatwick
to both Larnaca and Paphos. BA also has some flights from Gatwick to Larnaca.

Cyprus Airways flies Stansted to Larnaca, and for
middle-of-the-night flights, you can always try Monarch from Gatwick and Luton.

Getting
to Nicosia

Larnaca Airport:

There are not a lot of options. Taxis are around €50.The Kapnos Airport Shuttle runs every hour, and is only €8,
but drops you at a car park on the outskirts of Nicosia, from where you would
have to take a taxi (which they also run).

Another option is the shared taxi service which picks up
people as a group and drops them at their individual hotels. We used this to get back to the airport and you need to allow a couple of hours for all the extra pick-ups.

Kapnos also run a shuttle from here, but only at 11am, 7pm
and 11.30pm. It takes 2.5 hours and you are really advised to fly into Larnaca.

Hotel

Number 1 on TripAdvisor is Asty Hotel, which Adam stayed at
20 years ago and we revisited in 2018. They have reinvented themselves! With great public rooms, a refreshment room with free food open 24 hours, and other good facilities. The rooms are pretty basic. It’s about 15 minutes walk to the city centre, but they offer a free shuttle bus and are able to pick you up in town if you call. We would definitely recommend.

Within the city walls is a small pedestrianised area full of
gift shops called Laiki Geitonia. The tourist office is here, but is very small
and can offer a map of the city. There are free walking tours within the city
walls on Thursdays at 10am (recommended, lasts 3 hours), and bus tours on
Mondays at 10am (also recommended, need to book). These go to Kaimakli and
Chrysaliniotissa, two outlying suburbs of Nicosia, a visit to the Mayor's house
and art collection, several churches and craftsmen's workshops, and also views
of the Green Line, with historical background.

Sightseeing

The Leventis Museum is in Laiki Geitonia, in a pair of
mansions that have been modernised. It has many artefacts from the island,
pottery and jewellery, as well as a history of the city to British times. Free,
and has a nice cool courtyard ideal for relaxing and snacking.

The Leventis Art Gallery is one of two brand new skyscrapers
to the south of the city walls (the other was designed by Jean Nouvel). Over
three floors, it houses a family’s collection of French (mainly classical),
Greek and Cypriot art. €2 only.

The State Gallery of Contemporary Art, on the corner of
Leoforos Stasinou and Kritis, just south of the City Wall, has many modern
Cypriot artists. Some figurative, some historical, some reflecting op art and
sculpture, it gives a broad sweep of artistic styles. Free.

The Shacolas Tower is above the H&M store on Ledra,
and has a panoramic view from the 11th floor. €2 to enter, there are
touchscreens and photos and videos of Nicosia through the ages.

The Postal Museum is at 3B Agiou Savva St, and has displays
of Cypriot stamps, explanations of historical background, and a 'post office'
with a badly-coiffured mannequin. You can also buy stamps for your postcards
here.

The Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation is in the first bank
building on the island, backing onto Ledra but with the entrance on
Faneromenos. It has permanent exhibitions on bank notes and coins, and
temporary exhibitions about the island.

The complex of buildings based around the Archbishop’s
Palace have many interesting sights. As well as the Cathedral of St John, there
is the Folk Art Museum, and the Byzantine Museum with an impressive display of
icons.

Inside the city walls is the main street Ledra. As well as an H&M (see above) it has Next, McDonalds, Starbucks and a post office at
the north end (open 9am to 3pm).

There is a non-threatening checkpoint into Northern Cyprus,
with free passage between the two halves of the city, but have your passport
handy. We’ve never been across but there is a similar range of tourist sites
and shops.

Running south-east from the southern city gate is Archbishop
Makariou Street, with more expensive fashion shops, and some British brands
like Debenhams and TopShop. You’ll be underwhelmed by the choice and prices.

The Mall Of Cyprus is a medium-sized shopping complex out of
town. It has an IKEA and a Carrefour supermarket, a food court and the usual
high-end shops.

To get there, catch a 158 or 160 bus from the bus station at
Solomon Square, just inside the southern city wall gate. Tickets are €1.50 each
way for a 20 minute journey. Get off outside IKEA (the first stop after the bus
turns off the motorway). The bus stop back is on the other side of the road and
is labelled Nicosia 158 160. Buses run regularly twice an hour.

Have the tastiest lunches and take home the best Cypriot
treats with a visit to ZORBAS, a chain of bakeries. Fresh savoury and sweet
pastries, cakes, ice cream, and gift boxes of baklavas are all good value.
Although most branches are in the suburbs, there is one close to the city
walls, at 24 Digeni Akrita Avenue, two blocks from the south-east gate.

You can also get nice pastries in the Food Hall in the
Debenhams store on Arch. Makariou.

The streets Diagorou running into Themistokli Dervi to the
south-west of the city walls have TGI Fridays, Wagamama, Ocean Basket (cooked fish
and also sushi), Souvlaki Bar, and a bit further on, a large Starbucks. The
best of these is the souvlaki restaurant, with massive meze and kebab plates
for under €10.